PocketMedic is the trading name of eHealth Digital Media Ltd which is a digital communications company that creates and delivers high quality content about health. Information films are ‘prescribed’ by clinicians to support their patients to become more ‘expert’ in managing their chronic diseases.

INTRODUCING POCKETMEDIC

PocketMedic is a digital platform that allows clinicians in primary, secondary or community care, to send film-based prescriptions to patients to help manage their chronic disease. These can be watched on mobile phones, tablets or PCs.

What is PocketMedic?

PocketMedic is designed to help people understand what is happening to them and how they can start to work with their clinicians to play a greater role in self-managing their health. Peer-to-peer sharing of experiences along with explanations from medical experts are used to help engage the audience. Language is straight forward, the environment and style is relaxed and homely, and graphic illustration makes thing clear – and sometimes even makes you smile!

How does it work?

Our interest in digital communications in health stems from our work with both public and private sector clients supporting organisational and individual change through our sister company Littlefox Communications.

The link between health literacy and health outcomes is well established but often is interpreted too narrowly – we think – as simply being about giving patients information. If you want to motivate and empower patients you need to do more than that.

PocketMedic is our big idea and it uses technology to allow primary, secondary and community based clinicians to deliver graphically illustrated, personal film-based prescriptions that engage patients in their own health outcomes and promote positive, behavioural change.

Evidence that it works!

In 2013, eHealth Digital Media ran a service evaluation in a busy, NHS hospital physiotherapy department. Patients who watched films demonstrating the exercises that they needed to do and who provided feedback about their pain and activity levels, needed fewer appointments than a control group and were significantly more engaged with their recovery. The therapists saw more patients and – as a result, the department saved time and money.

eHealth Digital Media has since run further service evaluations in partnership with NHS clinicians. The clinicians tell us what they need to support their patients and we make films to deliver that support. Evaluation results seem to indicate that engaging, interactive content can help tackle the burden of chronic disease in the community. A full clinical trial is happening in 2016, run by Aberystwyth University and Hywel Dda University Health Board to test initial findings further.

The goal is to change the clinical paradigm from: "What's the matter?" to "What matters to you?"

All Party Parliamentary Committee on Global Health Conference May 2014.

OUR FILMS

Here is the library of film content that we have permission to share. Most of our PocketMedic content is only available via the PocketMedic platform. If you can’t find something you are looking for, please contact us.

Introduction to PocketMedic for clinicians

PocketMedic is designed to help people understand what is happening to them and how they can start to work with…

Introduction to PocketMedic for patients

Patients can be sent a link to a series of films by letter, email or text.

Co-production... what matters to you?

ABMU wanted a film for their staff to share thinking about co-production.

Lymphoedema Taster Film

These films help to answer any newly diagnosed patients' immediate concerns.

Diabetes Taster Film

Graphic animation can really help paint a picture of our health!

Diabetes Insulin Trial

We are working with clinicians and scientists to find young people recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes to take part in trials working to help find ways to eradicate Type 1 Diabetes.

Wellbeing

Patients share their self-management techniques – ideal to prescribe to a patient waiting to see a counsellor.

Physiotherapy - tackling morning back pain

NHS physiotherapists worked with us to capture these basic exercises. They are lycra free with not a gym ball in sight!

Diabetes - Recognising DKA

We make films for a wide range of clients helping them drive behavioural change among their audiences and client groups. Could you recognise the symptoms of DKA? Hopefully you will be able to after watching this.

OUR TEAM

We are a multi-disciplinary team comprising talented strategic communication experts, clinicians, graphic designers, filmmakers, animators and researchers who are constantly looking for fresh approaches to make sure that, as a result of what you see, you will change what you do. We collaborate with expert NHS health care professionals and patients across the UK to create content. We develop ideas and evaluate them with academics at Swansea University School of Medicine. We are engaging with pharmaceutical companies. We are thinking globally. We are ambitious and innovative.

PHILIP DANCEY
Managing Director

Philip Dancey is an entrepreneur and business mentor specialising in Technology, Engineering & Project Management. In particular Philip brings his IT and Project Management expertise to the development and deployment of the specialist IT Platform created to prescribe and deliver video content from clinician to patient. Philip has extensive experience as a business owner & manager working nationally for Blue Chip clients and brings these core skills to the team to control its growth and day-to-day management. Philip is also a Business Angel investor

DR CARL BROOKESClinical Director

Dr Carl Brookes is a consultant cardiologist and physician at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. He is Divisional Medical Director for Medical Services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT. Dr Brookes is instrumental in aligning primary and secondary care services within the acute setting and speaks at the APPG on Emergency Services. He is also helping to shape the way we manage End of Life Care in this country at the highest level.

KIMBERLEY LITTLEMORECreative Director

Kimberley Littlemore is a fellow of Swansea University Medical School and an award-winning former BBC filmmaker. At the BBC Kimberley oversaw the creation of documentary content on international development issues to raise funds for the developing world via the British charity Comic Relief. One of these fundraising films raised £5 million in 5 minutes – possibly the most successful fundraiser ever broadcast in the UK. As Creative Director Kimberley is responsible for producing high quality film content, working with award-winning crews and graphic animators. Her strong academic abilities (MA, Oxford University, Dip Journ) allow her to combine visual flair with an ability to master and communicate complex theoretical content. Her ambition is to deliver healthcare information globally to those living without reliable access to primary or secondary care in the developing world… she’s making good progress!

NEWS

October 2018

PocketMedic in collaboration with Dr Sam Rice of Prince Philip Hospital in Hywel Dda University Health Board won a commendation in the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards 2018.
The judges said:

"A very innovative idea to have films available on prescription! An excellent concept, well thought through from the patients’ perspective and well presented. These videos help educate and inform patients more effectively than traditional methods."

Over 30 films are now available for type 2, type 1, gestational and pre-diabetes, covering all aspects of diabetes care. They were recently incorporated into the National Direct Enhanced Service (DES) for Diabetes in Wales and are viewed by approximately 1,000 patients each month. Initial evaluation of the system demonstrated improvement in disease control as measured by HbA1c. For a quick glance at the content click here www.medic.video/diabetes

October 2017

eHealth Digital Media Ltd is working hard creating content about exercising with Type 1 diabetes, sick day rules and keenly awaits initial data from a clinical trial being run in Aberystwyth University to see the effect of watching films on the self-management of patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation. A film has just been delivered to the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre to help patients understand how to access new medicines.